Early Britain—Roman Britain eBook

excellent at scenting out their game and tackling
it when found—­like our present otter-hounds.
The native name for this strain was Agasseus.
Nemesianus[245] [A.D. 280] sings the swiftness of
British hounds; and Claudian[246] refers to a more,
formidable kind, used for larger game, equal indeed
to pulling down a bull. He is commonly supposed
to mean some species of mastiff; but, according to
Mr. Elton[247] mastiffs are a comparatively recent
importation from Central Asia, so that a boarhound
of some sort is more probably intended, such as may
be seen depicted (along with its smaller companion)
on the fine tesselated pavement preserved in the Corinium
Museum at Cirencester.[248] Whatever the creature was,
it is probably the same as the Scotch “fighting
dog,” which figures in the 4th century polemics
as a huge massive brute of savage temper[249] and
evil odour,[250] to which accordingly controversialists
rejoice in likening their ecclesiastical opponents.[251]
Jerome incidentally tells us that “Alpine”
dogs were of this Scotch breed, which thus may possibly
be the original strain now developed into the St. Bernard.

C. 16.—­But the existence of such tracts
of forest, even when very extensive, is quite compatible
(as the present state of France shows us) with a highly
developed civilization, and a population thick upon
the ground. And that a very large area of our
soil came to be under the plough at least before the
Roman occupation ended is proved by the fact that
eight hundred wheat-ships were dispatched from this
island by Julian the Apostate for the support of his
garrisons in Gaul. The terms in which this transaction
is recorded suggest that wheat was habitually exported
(on a smaller scale, doubtless) from Britain to the
Continent. At all events enough was produced for
home consumption, and under the shadow of the Pax
Romana the wild and warlike Briton became a quiet
cultivator of the ground, a peaceful and not discontented
dependent of the all-conquering Power which ruled the
whole civilized world.

C. 17.—­In the country the husbandman ploughed
and sowed and reaped and garnered,[252] sometimes
as a freeholder, oftener as a tenant; the miller was
found upon every stream; the fisher baited his hook
and cast his net in fen and mere; the Squire hunted
and feasted amid his retainers (who were usually slaves);
his wife and daughters occupied themselves in the
management of the house. The language of Rome
was everywhere spoken, the literature of Rome was read
amongst the educated classes; while amongst the peasantry
the old Celtic tongue, and with it, we may be sure,
the old Celtic legends and songs, held its own.
Intercourse was easy between the various districts;
for along every great road a series of posting-stations,
each with its stud of relays, was available for the
service of travellers. In the towns were to be
found schools, theatres, and courts of justice, with
shops of every sort and kind, while travelling pedlars